It wasn't a whole scout by the Illinois girls's observe and subject crew, however Petros Kyprianou's squad produced the majority of the Illini's greatest feminine athletes within the 2023-24 faculty yr. Scott Richey highlights the complete group:
1. Rose Yeboah
Ladies's athletics
There's in all probability no argument that Yeboah didn't have top-of-the-line — if not the perfect — rookie seasons at Illinois of any observe and subject athlete. It definitely ticked all the foremost bins. That started through the indoor season with All-American honors within the excessive leap after an eighth-place end on the NCAA championships and greater than continued outdoor with a Huge Ten title within the excessive leap earlier than set a college and NCAA championship meet document. which got here with a nationwide title.
2. Darja Sopova
Ladies's athletics
Sopova's worldwide success on the junior stage representing Latvia didn’t result in comparable success in her first three seasons in Texas. The switch to Illinois, the place Kyprianou emphasised the leaping occasions, was clearly a distinction maker. The Illini junior received the triple leap and positioned fourth within the lengthy leap on the Huge Ten Indoor Championships earlier than a sixth-place end on the NCAA Indoor Championships that included a school-record 44 ft, 63/four of inches. Her runner-up end on the NCAA Outside Championships got here with one other document at 45-113/four.
Three. Tori Thomas
Ladies's athletics
Indoor success has fueled extra outdoor for Thomas this yr. The Rock Island native broke the UI Armory pole vault document within the first occasion of the season earlier than ending third on the Huge Ten Championships and sixth on the NCAA Championships to say the primary All-American honor of her profession. The second got here through the out of doors season as Thomas positioned seventh on the NCAA championships. That, after all, adopted her Huge Ten title with a 14-10 meet and program document.
four. Sajdokova bar
Ladies's athletics
Whereas Yeboah has been higher outdoor than indoors, the other has been true for Sajdokova this season. The junior from Bystrice nad Olší, Czech Republic, was the Huge Ten champion within the indoor excessive leap, her profitable leap additionally setting a brand new Illini indoor document at 6-21/four. She went on to say All-American honors — one thing she by no means did at Texas A&M — by inserting fifth on the NCAA indoor championships. Sajdokova simply missed repeat All-American honors after inserting ninth on the NCAA out of doors championships.
5. Jessica McDowell
Ladies's athletics
The 2024 season was a comeback season on the observe for McDowell, who missed the out of doors portion of the 2023 season with an damage. Absolutely wholesome this yr, he dominated the Huge Ten. McDowell led Illinois in scoring on the Huge Ten indoor championships—a significant a part of the Illini's victory—by profitable the 200-meter sprint and inserting third in each the 400-meter and relay crew. 1,600-meter relay. Her success continued outdoor with a Huge Ten title within the 400 and NCAA Championship qualifying standing within the 400 and 400-meter relay.
6. The Humphrey Tacoria
Ladies's athletics
Humphrey cut up her time between the lengthy leap and excessive leap through the indoor season earlier than focusing immediately on the latter outdoor. It made the distinction. Whereas qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships within the lengthy leap, she went from eighth place within the Huge Ten indoor occasion to profitable the Huge Ten out of doors title. She additionally had success as a sprinter through the out of doors season, operating on the Huge Ten runner-up 400 relay crew that additionally certified for the NCAA championships.
7. Isabelle Sy
Ladies's golf
Sy now has one thing in widespread with Illinois coach Renee Slone after turning into the primary Illini to win back-to-back medals for the reason that Corridor of Famer did it in 1992-93. Sy was co-champion at The Chevron Collegiate in late February — the place she shot a season-low 7-under 65 within the second spherical — after which on the Briar's Creek Invitational two weeks later. The San Gabriel, Calif., native had the second-lowest single-season scoring common (71.36) in program historical past and was an All-Huge Ten First Crew decide and honorable point out WGCA All-American.
eight. Raina Terry
Volley-ball
Calling Terry a workhorse won’t go far sufficient. She was the go-to possibility for setter Brooke Mosher, and her 1,516 digs had been greater than double her subsequent closest teammate (Jessica Nunge with 644) and ranked third nationally in digs per set. Though Terry wasn't very efficient with that many swings, she was positively efficient. The 6-foot-Three outdoors hitter led Illinois and ranked third within the Huge Ten with 539 hits and was an All-Huge Ten crew decide for the second straight yr.
9. Makira Cook dinner
Ladies's basketball
Cook dinner was at his greatest on the finish of the 2023-24 season. Simply when Illinois wanted it from its veteran guard, as she helped propel the Illini to win the inaugural girls's basketball event. That Cook dinner was named the WBIT Most Excellent Participant was a no brainer contemplating she averaged 21 factors, four.6 assists and a pair of.eight rebounds throughout these 5 video games. The 5-6 guard topped 1,000 factors as an Illini final season and topped 1,600 for her profession, additionally incomes All-Huge Ten Second Crew honors.
10. Mia Takekawa
Feminine gymnastics
Takekawa capped his Illinois profession with All-Huge Ten First Crew honors for the third straight season. The fifth-year standout competed in all 16 meets for the Illini — totally on uneven bars and steadiness beam — and earned a spot on the All-Championships crew on the Huge Ten Championships after inserting 10th on beam with a rating of 9.875. Takekawa, who was additionally an Tutorial All-Huge Ten honoree, got here shut to a different excellent 10.zero final season with a 9.950 on bars on the NCAA regionals, making her mark as one of many program's greatest.